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More Than One Way to Change: A Study of Course Heterogeneity During and After Short‐term Psychiatric In‐patient Treatment
Author(s) -
Gude Tore,
Havik Odd, E.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9450.00176
Subject(s) - anxiety , psychology , personality disorders , psychiatry , cluster (spacecraft) , clinical psychology , substance abuse , personality , social psychology , computer science , programming language
This study describes differences in course and outcome, defined by GSI (SCL‐90) at admission, discharge, and one‐year follow‐up, in 458 patients receiving in‐patient treatment for long‐standing symptom and/or personality disorders. A K‐mean cluster analysis identified seven subgroups of patients, representing four clinical distinct, meaningful patterns of change: early improvement, late improvement, relapsing after discharge, and a severe chronic course. Main findings: the subgroups had unique correlates among socio‐demographic, diagnostic, and treatment‐related characteristics. One of the relapsing groups had a high rate of Cluster C personality disorders, whereas the other had low participation in the anxiety programme. The group with severe chronic course showed occupational maladjustment and high number of both Axis I and II disorders. Implications: anxiety patients should participate in anxiety‐treatment programmes, Cluster C patients should be followed and monitored for relapse, and severe chronic patients should be offered specialised treatment for their co‐existing substance abuse and/or eating disorders.